Research Day on Tufts Institute for Innovation

This event showcased the University’s newest enterprise, the Tufts Institute for Innovation (TII). It introduced the TII initiative and hopes to engage the Tufts community in helping to shape its priorities and direction.

TII: Overview, Challenges, and Opportunities

Defining Innovation at Tufts Institute for Innovation

Bhaskar Chakravorti, Senior Associate Dean for International Business and Finance, Executive Director of the Institute for Business in the Global Context and the Center for Emerging Markets Enterprise, The Fletcher School

Question and Answer Session

David Walt and Bhaskar Chakravorti

Lightning Talks

Molecular Strategies to Impact Microbial DiseaseJoshua Kritzer

Living MaterialsFiorenzo Omenetto

Nutrition and Infection: Understanding the LinkagesChristine Wanke

The Environment and MicrobesKurt Pennell

Breakout Session I

Molecular Strategies to Impact Microbial Disease

Emerging Platforms and Technologies to Study Microbes and Therapeutic Delivery

Fighting Microbes: From Bench to Bedside to Worldwide

The Environment and Microbes

Lightning Talks

Microbes and Infectious DiseaseJohn Leong

The Microbiome – Understanding the Microbiome for Health BenefitsAndrew Greenberg

The Application of New Technologies in Vaccinology, Therapeutics and Delivery PlatformsChuck Shoemaker

Informatics and Data Analysis to Study Microbes and Their ImpactsCarla Brodley

Lighting Talks

Molecular Strategies to Impact Microbial DiseaseJoshua Kritzer, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, School of Arts and Sciences

Living MaterialsFiorenzo Omenetto, Frank C. Doble Professor of Engineering, School of Engineering

Nutrition and Infection: Understanding the LinkagesChristine Wanke, Director of the Nutrition Infection Unit, Associate Chair of the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Professor of Medicine & Public Health and Community Medicine, School of Medicine

The Environment and MicrobesKurt Pennell, Professor & Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering

Microbes and Infectious DiseaseJohn Leong, Professor & Chair of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, School of Medicine

The Application of New Technologies in Vaccinology, Therapeutics and Delivery PlatformsChuck Shoemaker, Professor of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Informatics and Data Analysis to Study Microbes and Their ImpactsCarla Brodley, Professor of Computer Science, School of Engineering

Economic Strategies for Sustainable HealthShinsuke Tanaka, Assistant Professor of Economics, The Fletcher School

Environmental Epidemiology, Infectious Diseases and Global HealthElena Naumova, Associate Dean for Research, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Professor of Public Health and Family Medicine, School of Medicine

Facilitator: Jonathan Garlick, Professor of Oral Pathology, School of Dental Medicine Professor, School of Medicine; Professor of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering

The Environment and MicrobesEnvironmental microbiology, geologic/soil/groundwater microbiology, intersection of the human-microbial-animal worlds, impact on water systems, ecosystems, wildlife and conservation medicine, microbial evolution, bioremediation, microbes and climate change and their impact on climate justice.

Facilitator: Kurt Pennell, Professor and Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of EngineeringDavid Gute, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering

Studying the Microbiome and Its ImpactMetabolite analysis, animal models of infectious disease, global DNA sequencing and bioinformatics, changes in microbial flora under stress conditions and nutritional states, impact of the microbiome on disease states, microbes as therapeutics, microbes for nutritional benefits, the microbiome and cognition, impact of the microbiome on organ/tissue-specific niches.

Facilitators:Honorine Ward, Professor of Medicine, Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Professor of Public Health and Family Medicine, School of MedicineGillian Beamer, Assistant Professor of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine